A Story of Paradise
by Lt. Jolly
Summary: Commander Sisko, Major Kira, Jadzia, and Chief O'Brien are startled to discover a family living apart from the colonists in the Orellius system that Sisko and O'Brien had nearly been stranded on. Now the complete story of the colonists comes clear, and Alixus is shown for who she is.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Paradise Prologue

Stardate 47578.3

(Aboard Runabout _USS Rio Grande_)

Commander Sisko, still recovering from his ordeal in the punishment box, confronts Alixus and Vinod. Both mother and son are still defiant in their attitude, despite the charges against them.

Benjamin asked, "how many people have died since you landed there 10 years ago?"

Alixus and Vinod, exchanging concerned glances, appeared a little uncomfortable about answering his questions. Alixus, after some thought, replied, "why do you need to know, Ben? I'm accepting my part in their deaths."

Sisko rejoined, "I need to know. How many? I can find out, you know."

Again looking concerned, Vinod spoke up. "Then go ahead. You're going to charge us, anyway, aren't you?"

Ben replied, "nothing's been decided yet. So far, the only death I can charge you with is Meg's. You're also charged in the punishment you used on me and Stephan, and your son is charged in Chief O'Brien's attempted murder."

Vinod looked stunned. "Attempted murder?" He asked.

"Yes, Vinod. When you shot his uniform with your arrow, you thought you he was still in it. That's attempted murder of a Starfleet officer. It's a felony."

"I only-," Vinod angrily started, before being interrupted by the voice of Major Kira Nierys. "Commander," she began, "I think you should see this." She beckoned Sisko over to the console she sat at.

Ben slowly made his way to the pilot's station, wondering what could be wrong. With the _Orinoco_ in tow, the small runabouts hadn't even left orbit of the Orellius system planet the uncharted colony had been found on.

"We're being haled," she informed him, indicating the communication panel lighting up.

"Where's it coming from?" Sisko asked.

"The planet below," Kira replied.

"I thought the colonists didn't have any communicators. They said they'd thrown everything out," Chief O'Brien joined in.

From her science station, Jadzia said, "it's not from your beaming position, Commander."

"Then where?" asked a puzzled Sisko.

She answered, "about 8 kilometers from there. I'm reading 5 life forms. Humanoid."

Ben nodded to Major Kira, who pressed the comm switch, and heard a definite male humanoid voice. "Do you read me, Starfleet vessel? Do you read me? Come in, please."

Kira replied, "we read you. Can you please identify yourself, and your purpose?"

The reply came back, calmly and firmly, "I'm Ronald Clark. I'm a colonist that accidently landed here 10 years ago. We'd like to give you some information concerning another colonist that you've apparently had some contact with."

Ben joined the conversation. "Which colonist would that be?" The reply again came quickly.

"Her name is Alixus. She's responsible for the deaths of a number of other colonists, and for their entrapment here 10 years ago."

Ben, knowing too well what Alixus was responsible for, replied, "how do you know about her?"

Ronald, the voice on the other end, rejoined, "my wife and I left her colony and made a home of our own 9 and a half years ago. I think it would be to your benefit and ours if one of you could beam down and hear us out. I affirm you will be well-treated by my family and I."

Pressing the mute, Ben looked at Kira, who could see the unasked question before he could ask. "It's not a good idea for you to exert yourself like that. I'll go." "You really should listen to the Major, sir," joined in Chief O'Brien. Ben, mulling over this advice for a moment, nodded, saying, "go ahead, Major. See what's going on down there. Take Dax with you. She might be able to help."

With that, the Bajoran and joined Trill made their way to the transporter, with O'Brien activating the beam, sending them straight to the coordinates given by the communication console.

Upon their arrival, they noticed that they were inside an odd structure, appearing to be the inside of a cave. There was a hole in the center of the roof of it overhead, with a pool of clear water in the center, from which a stream moved quickly away, towards a hole in the wall about 20 meters from the edge. Several structures had been erected around the pool, appearing to serve as living quarters, and then they noticed the 5 figures standing nearby, one a human man holding a hand-held communicator. He stepped forward.

"I'm Ronald Clark," he said in an even-toned voice. The women nodded in recognition, and he continued the introduction.

He indicated a humanoid woman in a hooded robe, with the hood up, and said, "This is Lerius, my wife, and our children," sweeping his arm past 3 smaller figures similarly dressed.

The woman used both hands in pulling the hood back from her face, revealing her head...and the obvious pointed ears of either a vulcan or a romulan. Upon noticing the questioning look, Lerius flat-toned, "yes, I'm a vulcan."

"How…" began Dax, curious as to how they evaded notice before and who this family was. Familiar with cross-bred humanoids, there was no curiosity as to the makeup of the family, but questions crossed the minds of both Kira and Jadzia as they looked these five over.

"How come you're not with the other colonists?" was her first question.

Ronald and Lerius exchanged glances, Lerius nodding at her husband, who turned back to Kira and Jadzia. "That's a long story, so call your ship, and tell them you're unharmed, safe, and are going to be here awhile."

After calling the _Rio Grande_ and assuring the Commander that all was well, they turned back to Ronald and his family. With Jadzia's tricorder recording, the story began...


	2. Chapter 2

"Our adventure began on stardate 38300.93," Ronald began.

"That's when our ship, the Santa Maria, began her voyage to Gemulon V. We were signed on to become colonists there." Lerius joined in, using the customary Vulcan emotionless tone.

"As engineers, our skills were badly needed." Ronald continued. "We met on Vulcan. It's where I chose to undertake my retraining from cryogenic sleep."

Noticing the curious looks the Starfleet officers exchanged, he briefly informed them of his own history. "I was born in the early 21st century, and was diagnosed with a genetic heart defect. I volunteered for the experimental program, to be awakened when my condition could be remedied."

Lerius picked up the story from there. "Ronald learned that on Vulcan, he would have the fewest distractions during his accelerated retraining as an engineer, as he'd completed his university degree program in the 21st century."

At this point, Major Kira's tricorder sounded off. "SS Santa Maria, Erewon-class personnel transport, registry number BDR-529. Left Earth enroute to Gemulon V colony with 30 colonists, 8 crew, stardate 38300.93. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Sharon Bartles. Listed as missing in space."

"That's what we thought it would say," Ronald rejoined. "During the voyage, we became familiar with the crew and other passengers. Commander Bartles was a by the book type of commander. She ran a taut ship, and most of her crew followed her lead."

"You say 'was' a by the book commander?" asked Kira. "She wasn't among the colonists?"

"No," replied Lerius. "I assume that you haven't visited the colony?"

Kira answered, "No, Commander Sisko and Chief O'Brien were nearly marooned there. Someone tried to destroy their runabout by flying it into the Orellius star. They missed."

"I have no doubt Alixus was behind it, if not involved directly," Lerius informed them. "It's something within the character we've observed of her."

Kira, sensing the retelling of the first catastrophe to strike the colonists coming, prompted Lerius. "What happened that marooned you here?" she asked.

Once again picking up the story, she began again, with the first sign of trouble. "It was about the middle of the low watch between the third and fourth days of the voyage that the alert claxon sounded."

"As everyone awoke, we became aware of something amiss. The artificial gravity within the ship was definitely malfunctioning, we had difficulty walking. Suddenly, Lieutenant Gerrick, the watch helmsman and commander, came over the comm. He was telling all passengers to remain calm and in our quarters, and for the engineer to report to the bridge."

"All we knew then was that the artificial gravity was fluctuating. We'd feel almost weightless one moment, then were nearly immobile pinned to the floor the next. Next, Lieutenant Commander Bartles' voice came over the comm, saying the alert status was now blue. Ronald and I could only look at each other and hold each other's hands. We knew what that meant."

Ronald took up the story at this point, as Lerius arose and headed for the structure where the children had entered after being introduced. "She'll be back," he said. "She has to prepare lunch."

Continuing from where Lerius left off, "We knew all too well the crew was looking to land the ship. We could only hope that the body we landed on wasn't too hostile an environment. The ship was in deep trouble."

"We were clearly in descent mode and could see the reentry friction on the outside of the ship through our windows. As we descended, the commander kept giving orders to prepare for landing."

"We could tell we were nearing the surface, and could hear the engines straining against the planet's gravitational force. Then came her order…"

_FLASHBACK_

"Prepare for impact! Prepare for impact!" shouted the commander. She sat at the navigation station, and kept pressing buttons to aid the helm in landing.

Then, seemingly simultaneously, the engines stopped as the ship made a belly landing on the planet's surface. The ship had landed, and from the way she felt, she was sure that the passengers were in need of help.

In their cabin, Ronald and Lerius got to their feet, and began checking each other for injuries. Having been on the floor during the landing, the injuries they'd suffered were several bruises, nothing more. Their cabin, however, had debris scattered about from the objects dislodged by the landing.

Looking out their cabin window, they could clearly see that it was still dark outside. What local time was, they didn't know, but Lerius quickly checked her chronometer. It wasn't working. She showed Ronald, who suddenly checked his. Same.

They both searched the debris in the cabin for their engineering equipment, and after a few moments found what they were looking for: tricorders. They began checking them, and quickly noticed both weren't functioning.

"Not even the diagnostic functions. Nothing." Ronald noted. Lerius began working with hers, trying in vain to coax it to start up. "The energy appears to be nonexistent," she told Ronald.

The human-vulcan couple got to their feet once again and began to try leaving the cabin. The automatic door wouldn't open. "Try the manual override," suggested Lerius. Ronald, locating it quickly in a wall panel, pulled the lever found there, opening the doors.

Neither of them knew it at the time, but this was their first moments of a long isolation from everything they'd known.


End file.
